Swimmers grab first-place finish

Moffat County High School boys swim coach Jim Vorhies seemed to speak more about his swimmers appetite rather than strategy or technique.

Hungry was the only word he could use to describe them after the Bulldogs' first first-place finish of the season Saturday at Orchard Mesa. The swimmers placed in the top three in 12 events, including five first-place finishes. They qualified one new relay team and re-qualified another team and have already surpassed the number of boys they sent to state last year.

"They're hungry and they want to win," Vorhies said. "They're strong swimmers and are putting up times surpassing anything we've done in the past two years."

The Orchard Mesa Quadrangular saw the re-qualification of the 200-yard freestyle relay team and the qualification of a second 200-yard medley relay team.

The medley relay team of freshman Zach Vorhies, junior John Ilko, sophomore Kyle Eitel and senior Parker Moore nearly doubles last year's number of swimmers Vorhies will send to Fort Collins for state.

Last year the team sent two relay teams one alternate and one diver accounting for six total qualifiers.

Besides increasing the number of swimmers at state the Bulldogs also swept three events at the quadrangular. The meet only scored the top-two placers.